A friend of mine pointed me to Walker mowers. It seems like all the riding mowers cost a lot. I'm almost tempted to buy a mower from an auction but I'm afraid of what I may end up with.
I bought a Walker mower about 18 yrs ago from a lawn and garden service going out of business. I got it at auction for $1600.00 and have not regretted it at all. I did have to rebuild all of the gear boxes the first year because workers don't care because its not their money so they did not check the oil in the boxes and beat it up bad. However, the engine was solid and still is. I have used it all summer long for a lot of years and I love it. She aint the prettiest gal at the dance, but she can out dance anything in my neighborhood. I have had neighbors stop and ask me what kind of mower I have. I tell them Walker and they say that they have never heard of it.
Many of our lawn service people around here have Walkers and some have several. Taylor rental here in Fort Wayne is a Walker dealer.
One tip.... If you need bearings, dont go to the dealer. They are costly. I go to Applied Technologies which used to be Bearings Incorporated.
I cant say enough about my Walker. It is dependable and easy to work on. I do all my own work and Maint. You can't go wrong with a Walker. They are expensive, but it will probably be the last lawn mower that you will ever buy. You can will it to your kids when you'r gone.